Zitcha names Steve Biddle Chief Commercial Officer

Zitcha has appointed Steve Biddle as Chief Commercial Officer as the Melbourne-based retail media company expands its commercial leadership team.

Biddle joins from Meta, where he spent 14 years and most recently served as director of retail media network strategy and solutions. He will lead Zitcha's global commercial strategy, working across retailers, brands and partners as retail media networks mature.

The appointment comes as retailers and technology suppliers compete for share in a fast-growing segment of digital advertising. Retail media networks allow retailers to sell advertising inventory across their own digital properties and, in some cases, offsite and in-store channels. The sector has attracted sustained investment as brands seek targeted advertising tied to shopping behaviour.

Commercial remit

Biddle will work with global teams, including Zitcha's APAC operation led by Jack Byrne. He is also involved in developing new-to-industry features expected to launch later this year.

Biddle brings more than 25 years of experience across advertising, retail and digital platforms. At Meta, he worked with retailers as the retail media category formed and expanded, helping shape the company's global approach to retail media networks.

Earlier at Meta, Biddle founded and led the company's retail vertical, overseeing relationships with major retail advertisers as Meta developed commerce-related products. He also developed five patents related to advertising and commerce innovation.

Before Meta, Biddle led Walmart's US advertising organisation for nearly four years, covering brand-building work across television, digital, print and radio.

Earlier in his career, he held senior agency roles at Leo Burnett, now part of Publicis, working with consumer packaged goods brands including Kraft and Kellogg.

Market context

Zitcha develops software for retail media networks, which retailers use to manage advertising inventory, campaign planning and reporting across multiple channels. Competition includes in-house retail builds and a growing number of specialist technology providers.

A recurring theme in the category is the operational complexity of running a media business inside a retail organisation. Many retailers expanded their advertising offers quickly, then faced pressure to standardise measurement, improve campaign execution and integrate with existing retail systems.

Biddle highlighted those execution demands on taking the role.

"Retail media networks are entering a phase where execution and foundations really matter. Most retailers do not want to build and maintain complex media infrastructure on their own, and many simply can't. What they need is a partner they trust. Zitcha stood out to me because of the strength of its engineering, the stability of the product, and the way the team approaches the real challenges retailers face as they grow their media businesses."

Troy Townsend, group CEO at Zitcha, said the appointment reflects the company's focus on retailers and brands scaling media operations across regions and channels.

"Steve has seen retail media from every angle, as an agency leader, a retailer, and a platform operator. That perspective is incredibly valuable. He understands what retailers and brands need to succeed, and he understands the technology required to support that at scale."

Growth profile

Zitcha has positioned itself as a unified platform for retail media, spanning onsite, offsite and in-store channels. The company operates from Australia and works with retailers, retail media networks and brands in multiple markets.

Last November, Zitcha ranked fifth in Deloitte Technology's Fast 50 list in Australia, recording 1,391 per cent revenue growth over the qualifying period.

Biddle will work with Zitcha's commercial teams globally as the company expands deployments of its retail media network technology across key markets.